Charging apparatus for pulp digesters



. Dec. 4,' 1928.

E. OLSSON CHARGING APPARATUS FOR PULP DIGESTERS Filed June 30, 1927 TL I INVENTOR Eli's Ulsson I BY ATFORNE I Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES ELIE; OLSSON, OF W'ESI POINT, VIRGINIA.

CHARGING APPARATUS FOR PULP DEGE$TER$ Application filed June 30, 1927.

This invention relates to pulp digesting apparatus and particularly to means for feeding and packing or charging the digester with material to be digested.

In order to convert wood chips or other material to be digested into pulp by the chemical. process, the chips or other material are in troduced into the digester and are treated with a suitable chemical solution which dissolves the binding material of the fiber. lhe chemical solution. is usually introduced by gravity from tanks located above the digester or is pumped therointo fromtanks located below the digester.

The invention has for its salient object to increase the capacity of a pulp digester.

Another object of the invention is to utilize a high pressure stream of chemical solvent liquor to pack the chips in the digester.

Another object of the invention is to so charge the digester with chips and solvent liquor that the chips will be packed by the stream of liquor.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for feeding and packing pulp material so constructed and arranged that the capacity of the digester will be increased'and the liquor and pulp material being fed into the digester will not splash or spatter laterally.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for introducing liquor and pulp material into a digester so constructed and arranged that a portion thereof can be removed to facilitate the placing on the digester of a top cover thereof.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection. with the drawings, which form a. part of this application, and in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view somewhat diagrammatic showing a. plurality of digestcrs with pulp feeding and packing means constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partly broken away showing the hopper for the pulp material, the digesters and the feeding and p acking means;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing the feed chute or funnel for the pulp material and the packing and feeding device constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken substantially on line t-l of Fig. 3.

Serial No. 292,504.

The invention briefly described consists of a funnel or chute disposed between the hopper and the .digester and having extending thereinto a pipe and nozzle for introducing the digesting liquor therein. As the pulp material passes through the chute or funnel the liquor engages the pulp material and increases its speed through the funnel or chute and, furthern'iore, the force of the stream. of liquor engaging the chips or other pulp material in the digestcr packs the material. The funnel has anextension secured to the lower end thereof for preventing splashing or spattering of the material and liquor as it is fed into the digester. Further details of the invention will appear from the following description.

In the drawings there is illustrated a chip bin or hopper for the pulp material having a plurality of downwardly directeddischarge chutes or funnels 11, 12, 13 and 14 disposed above digesters A, B, C and D. A valve, such as a. slide valve 18, is mounted in each of the chutes or funnelstoregulate the flow of pulp material or chips therethrough. Thepulp solvent or digesting liquor is contained' in a tank and is pumped from the tank through a conduit 21, through a pump 22, and thencethrough a conduit 23 to di tributing conduits 24-, 25, 28 and 27 toconduits 28 which extend into the chutes or funnels 11, 12, 13 and 14. Each of the conduits 28 has an elbow 29 to which is connected a noz- 21c 30 which, as shown in Fig. 3, directs the liquor downwardly. The pump 22 is driven in any suitable manner as by a. motor 31. i

As the pulp material falls downwardly through the chutes or funnels the force of a liquor passing through the nozzles 3O will exert an ejector action and speed up the passage of the pulp material through the chutes. Furthermore, since the nozzles: direct the liquor directly down into the digesters they will engage and pack the pulp material or chips in the digesters. It will. be understood that the pump 22 will pump the liquor through the nozzle 30 at relatively high pressure, such, for instance, as fifty pounds or over.

In order to prevent the liquor and pulp material from splashing or sputtering an extension is secured to the lower end of the funnel or chute. The lower edge of each of the chutes or funnels has secured thereto a pair of brackets 36 and 37. Each bracket has a plate 38 secured thereto in parallel relation therewith and spaced therefrom by a spacing block 39. Each of the extensions 35 has laterally extending lugs 40 at its upper end and reinforced as shown at ll. The lugs 40 and reinforcements t1 are adapted to fit between the brackets 36, 37 and the plates 88. The lower end of each funnel or chute is also pro vided with a downwardly extending lug adapted to act as a stop and properly position the extension 35. It will be evident from the foregoing description that the extensions 35 are secured to the lower ends of the funnels or chutes by slipping the lugs and reinforcements between the brackets and plates. Furthermore, the extensions can be easily removed from the funnels or chutes, thus facilitating the positioning of the covers on the digesters after the digesters have been charged.

Care is taken in introducing the chips and stream into the digester to so regulate the rate of charging of the chips and stream that the chips will not float or be covered by the liquor but will be packed thereby.

By means of the apparatus described the yield per digester can be materially increased since more of the pulp material can be digested in the apparatus than by the usual method. Furthermore, the rate of charging can be materially increased since in the ordinary digesting apparatus the chips or other material merely fall by gravity and are not speeded up.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. Apparatus for feeding and packing pulp material in a pulp-digester comprising a chute adapted to receive the material and direct the material downwardly, a conduit extending into said chute, a downwardly directed nozzle connected to said conduit, and means for forcing liquor at relatively high pressure through said conduit and nozzle, thereby to accelerate movement of the material and to pack same in the digester.

2. Apparatus for feeding and packing pulp material in a pulp-digester comprising a chute adapted to receive the material and direct thematerial downwardly to said digester, and a removable extension carried by the lower end of the chute.

3. Apparatus for feeding and packing pulp material in a pulp-digester comprising a chute adapted to receive the material and direct the material downy *ardly to said digester, and a removable extension carried by the lower end. of the chute and removable laterally therefrom.

4t. Apparatus for feeding and packing pulp material in a pulp-digester comprising a chute adapted to receive the material and direct the material downwardly to said digester, and a removable extension carried by the lower end of the chute, said extension having laterally extending lugs at the upper end thereof and said chute having spaced supporting members for receiving said lugs.

5. Apparatus for feeding and packing pulp material in a pulp-digester comprising a chute adapted to receive the material and direct the material downwardly, and a. removable exteusion carried by the lower end of the chute, and means for directing a high pressure stream of digesting liquor through the chute with the pulp material, thereby to accelerate movement of the material and to pack same in the digester.

6. Apparatus for feeding and packing pulp material in a pulpdigester comprising a chute adapted to receive the material and direct the material downwardly, and a removable extension carried by the lower end of the chute, and means including a downwardly ex tending, centrally disposed nozzle in the chute for directing a high pressure stream of digesting liquor through the chute with the pulp material, thereby to accelerate movement of the material and to pack same in the digestcr.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28 day of June, 1927.

ELIS OLSSON Oil 

